SE1 E08 What It Really Takes to Grow a Startup in Sustainable Agriculture | Gabrielle Blocher

What does it really take to build a startup from the ground up while balancing strategy, operations, fundraising, and growth?In this episode of Business Unfiltered, Rick Plaskett sits down with Gabrielle Blocher, CEO of Sunflower Fuels, to talk about the realities of leading an early-stage company in the sustainable agriculture and renewable energy space. Gabby shares her journey from the Naval Academy and Marine Corps logistics to Columbia Business School, startup leadership, and now building a company focused on miscanthus-based renewable products and sustainable fuel solutions.Gabrielle explains how Sunflower Fuels is working to turn unused agricultural land in Kentucky and surrounding states into a scalable source of lignocellulosic feedstock for products such as animal bedding, renewable packaging, building materials, and sustainable aviation fuel. She also gives a candid look at what it means to lead a revenue-generating but pre-profit startup, including the challenges of fundraising, balancing day-to-day execution with long-term strategy, and planning for future team growth.If you’re a founder, operator, investor, startup leader, or someone interested in clean energy, agtech, sustainability, entrepreneurship, or business growth, this conversation is packed with practical insight.In this episode, you’ll learn about:* Building a startup in the sustainable agriculture and renewable fuels space* The business opportunity behind miscanthus and underused agricultural land* What it’s like to be a CEO wearing “all the hats” in an early-stage company* Balancing operations vs strategic planning in a startup environment* How Gabby approaches goal setting, growth, and scaling a business* The hiring roadmap for a growing startup team* The realities of raising capital as a pre-profit startup* Leadership lessons from the military, consulting, and startup worldKey takeaway from Gabriell: make space for both the operational and the strategic sides of the business — because growth depends on both.If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to like, comment, and subscribe for more interviews with founders, CEOs, and business leaders sharing real lessons from building and scaling companies.#BusinessUnfiltered #StartupLeadership #Entrepreneurship #CEO #CleanEnergy #RenewableEnergy #SustainableAgriculture #AgTech #StartupGrowth #Fundraising #BusinessPodcast #Leadership #SunflowerFuelsIf this resonated, give it a like and subscribe — new episodes weekly.I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.– Rick and the Ohio Business Unfiltered podcast teamConnect with Rick Plasket on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-plasket-4b6a157Visit the ActionCOACH website here: https://rickplasket.actioncoach.comListen to Ohio Business Unfiltered on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033jtpIBICapFc5c0uLDjEApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ohio-business-unfiltered/id1896769046Amazon Podcasts:https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/70038bf4-21c4-44ef-91a4-5fdca2d11607/ohio-business-unfiltered#OhioBusinessUnfiltered #RickPlasket #ActionCOACH #OhioBusiness #BusinessCoaching #SmallBusinessOwner #EntrepreneurMindset #BusinessGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment #ScaleYourBusiness #OhioEntrepreneur #ExecutiveCoaching #BusinessStrategy #WorkLifeBalance #MindsetMattersOhio Business Unfiltered is the podcast for Ohio business owners who want straight talk on what it actually takes to build a profitable, sustainable company. Each week, Rick Plasket sits down with entrepreneurs, executives, and business leaders from across the state to get into the real conversations — the obstacles they faced, the decisions that changed everything, and what they wish they had known sooner.Rick Plasket is a certified ActionCOACH, West Point graduate, and Army veteran with decades of experience spanning corporate leadership and business coaching. He works with business owners across Columbus and Ohio to help them stop working in their business and start working on it — building systems, developing teams, and reclaiming the freedom they got into business for in the first place. On Ohio Business Unfiltered, Rick brings that same direct, accountability-driven approach to every conversation.